Synth-Pop — 1980s Genre Guide

Synth-pop turned the synthesizer into pop music's lead instrument. Explore the genre's pioneers, biggest songs, key albums and lasting influence.

Synth-pop is the sound of the synthesizer becoming pop music's lead voice. From Gary Numan's 'Cars' to Pet Shop Boys' 'West End Girls', synth-pop dominated the 1980s charts and shaped how pop production sounds today.

Key artists

• Depeche Mode — From bubblegum synth-pop to dark electronic giants.
• The Human League — Dare made synth-pop the sound of the UK number one.
• Pet Shop Boys — Sophisticated, ironic and endlessly hook-laden.
• Erasure — Vince Clarke's third great synth-pop project.
• OMD — Atmospheric, conceptual synth-pop.